Eddy Rosado served with the Marine Corps for four years during the Vietnam war. He was an instructor with the Corps and lives in Philadelphia. He heard about the Fins for Freedom fishing day at an event he attended in Oaks, Pennsylvania, and signed up. Friends
Eddy sat alone at the senior Citizens building in Atlantic Highlands waiting for instructions on which boat he would be going on and enjoying bagels and coffee. Fins for Freedom ws just starting to kick off a day that would make memories. Friends
There were a couple of other men seated at the same table, none of whom knew each other.
But when questioned by a reporter, Eddy said he was getting older, starting a new life, and had been fishing for a long time and loved it. But in starting his new life, he didn’t really have many friends and was kind of on his own, he said. Friends
It took a second for Rich Oshaughnessy, seated across from him at the table to stand up, put out his hand and say heartily, “hey, now you have a friend. I’m Rich.”
Shaughnessy was also signed up for the trip, a 20 year veteran of the Navy retiring as a Chief. He learned about the program from a lady named Dawn, who worked at a Speedway gas station and knew Rich was a veteran. They started talking, he said, adding he was happy to be on this trip, even though he never has a bad day. Friends
When the reporter left, Eddy and Rich were already deep in conversation about their lives in service and their recent activities.
Meeting up with them again at the end of the day, they both had stories to tell of the striped bass they had caught and released, and the other friends they met on their day of fishing.
“That’s what we do this for,” said an emotional Dan Brady, one of the Fins for Freedom officers, “ Fins for Freedom wants to keep these guys together, and as fishermen, we all know the camaraderie that comes about on any fishing trip. These guys deserve all of that and more.”
Rosado was proud to show photos at the end of the day of the two stripers and one blue he and yet another new friend caught. Jorge Quinga came from Jersey City for the trip, he was an army veteran who served with the infantry from 2003 to 2006. He had never been out fishing before. “I loved it,” he laughed, “and I learned a lot. I didn’t even know the language of fishing or being out on a boat.”
When he hooked into a striper, he didn’t even realize it, he said, when another veteran on the boat said “you snagged it.” “I didn’t know what that meant, until I started reeling it in, and wow! …..” then he pulled out the photo of him and his striped bass.
Quinga also caught a bluefish, a fish he could keep and was planning on baking for dinner. The Ecuador born American and Rosado both also said that they were on Boat Ten…That’s Capt. Bill (William DiStaso) and he was great. “
“We must have had the best captain and crew of anybody for the day,” they both agreed.
Other veterans would have differed, putting up their own captains and crew for perfection.
But besides the fish, the captain, and the wonderful day, Rosado was truly happy for something else. “Jorge and I have already exchanged telephone numbers ..we’re going to be getting together soon.”
Other stories on Fins for Freedom
